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Tag: Rocky Hill

  • How Can Rocky Hill Stop Tax Increases? Through Planning, Partnerships, and Responsible Growth

    How Can Rocky Hill Stop Tax Increases? Through Planning, Partnerships, and Responsible Growth

    Rocky Hill’s current mayor, Lisa Marotta, has done a lot of explaining recently about why taxes have continued to rise under her administration. In an opinion article in the Rocky Hill Life Magazine, the mayor attributed the town’s property taxes increase, and cuts to the library and school programs to forces beyond her control, laying the blame on the state.  In a recent debate, she also claimed that her administration’s 10-year tax abatement for the Kelson Row development was somehow a success for the town. Rocky Hill needs leadership that offers a sound strategy, not excuses.  How can we stop our taxes from continuing to increase?

    A smiling bearded man in a suit

    Allan Smith, the Democratic candidate for Mayor of Rocky Hill, believes in problem-solving and being action oriented.   Allan is a small business owner who believes in creativity and collaboration, not complaining.  Allan’s action plan if he were to become mayor includes the following initiatives so Rocky Hill moves forward in a new way:

    • Exploring sharing services across departments and neighboring towns to save costs & increase efficiency.  Allan’s approach would be partnering with neighboring towns by sharing certain services without losing local control.  Shared services projects are a way to lower costs for certain town assets and resources not always being used (think seasonal street-sweepers and tree-trimming equipment).  Our current mayor has touted their increased attention to shared services like partnering with Wethersfield to work on the Silas Deane, however, it was our neighboring towns who led these projects and brought Rocky Hill along. Allan is a mayoral candidate who wants to be first to the table to represent Rocky Hill.  He already has relationships with the neighboring town leaders, so can join this effort quickly to try to lower Rocky Hill’s costs.
    • Banding together with other mayors to argue for legislative change to the PILOT funding formula.  PILOT is a state program that funds part of town’s property taxes because certain town properties aren’t required to pay taxes (for example, Dinosaur State Park).  Mayor Marotta’s approach has been to write opinion pieces in local newspapers and testify at the state capitol complaining that PILOT funding is not increasing enough.  Allan believes in doing, not complaining.  Other towns are getting more money from their state  (for example, Wethersfield getting $200+ million for 70% reimbursement toward new schools) because there is closer cooperation with their town and state representatives.  Allan’s approach will be to have a unified front with Rocky Hill’s Representative Kerry Wood and State Senator Matt Lesser to identify projects and more effectively push for Rocky Hill to get its fair share of grants and PILOT funding.
    • Change Rocky Hill’s tax base to “diversity revenue”. Diversity revenue means finding different ways for a town to receive income.   As a certified commercial real estate agent, Allan understands what developers and property owners need to be successful.  In the last town re-valuation, Rocky Hill’s residential property tax income had to be used for more of the town’s budget because more business offices are vacant and less valuable since 2018.  We need someone on staff to exclusively help connect businesses with the town and streamline economic development. Allan would propose hiring a full-time business development manager to attract new businesses and fill vacancies.

    Regarding Kelson Row, in the recent Rocky Hill conversation event between Allan and Mayor Marotta, Allan pointed out that, because of the mayor’s tax reduction deal, Rocky Hill will lose more than $10 million dollars in tax revenue over the next 10 years or more.  Further, if Kelson Row was being taxed for the full amount it owes, even with being partially completed, Rocky Hill could have avoided cuts to our schools, public safety, and library or shrunk the property tax increases in this year’s budget. Allan’s approach would have been a modest tax reduction to allow the developer to “get off the ground”, but only for a short period until they began collecting rents, and residents begin moving in and using town services. 

    Allan Smith illustrates how Mayor Marotta admits that Kelson Row tax abatements cost Rocky Hill $1.1 million a year.

    Allan Smith believes it’s a mayor’s job to make sure the town gets the state funding it needs and tax income it deserves so it can evolve and thrive.  Vote for Allan Smith if that’s where you want Rocky Hill to go from here! 

  • The Case for Local Investment in Our Schools

    The Case for Local Investment in Our Schools

    As someone who taught 4th grade for four years, I know firsthand how critical funding is to the success of both students and teachers.

    In my classroom of 20 students, many required extra support, whether that meant help focusing during lessons, guidance with assignments, or simply someone to listen. I wanted to give each child the individualized attention they deserved, but with one teacher and limited resources, it was impossible to keep up with their diverse needs.

    As a teacher, you don’t just deliver lessons. You juggle dozens of roles at once. In a single 45-minute math block, I might be guiding one student through long division, helping another decode a word problem, reminding a third to stay on task, and calming a fourth who is overwhelmed and near tears. At the same time, a student might ask to use the bathroom, another may be struggling with a Chromebook that won’t log in, and two others could be having a conflict that needs immediate attention. Teaching often feels like trying to run ten parallel lessons at once. 

    “Teaching is such a rewarding job. But without enough staffing support or resources, it becomes an impossible task.”

    And all of this happens on top of the hours of preparation and follow-up that make the day possible: designing lessons that reach every learner regardless of their level, gathering materials, grading assignments, and staying in touch with parents about their child’s progress or concerns. Teaching doesn’t end when the bell rings. It continues long after the students go home. 

    Photo by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages

    Teaching is such a rewarding job. But without enough staffing support or resources, it becomes an impossible task. Imagine a doctor’s office where one physician was responsible for seeing 20 patients simultaneously, each with different needs, some requiring constant attention. That’s what many classrooms feel like.

    Here is what class sizes look like in town this year, according to a document presented at the September 18 Board of Education meeting. A follow-up report is expected at the October 18th meeting.

    A table indicating average class sizes

    In Rocky Hill, elementary class sizes are often larger than 20 students, with some even reaching 26. While many of our classes are close to the maximum size according to our board policy, the student-to-teacher ratios are larger than many experts recommend. Across the decades, studies have shown that class sizes of 12-17 students lead to better educational outcomes than classes of 21-15 students. The state of Connecticut recommends class sizes of 18 for grades K-3.

    That gap represents several additional children per classroom, each with their own needs, without any extra adult in the room to help. Teachers want to give their best, but without more people, more tools, and more time, we’re set up to fail. This struggle is part of the reason why I eventually left the classroom.

    My district expected outstanding results and strong test scores, but it could not provide the staffing, time, or resources necessary to make those expectations realistic. Teachers often face this impossible equation: do more with less, year after year.

    The truth is, funding makes a real difference. When schools are properly funded, they can provide the support that makes quality teaching and learning possible. Essential supplies, engaging curriculum, paraprofessionals and specialists to share the workload, and the time and resources teachers need to meet each student’s need, are essential. All of these investments directly affect the quality of education children receive and the stability of the teaching profession itself. 

    “Teachers often face this impossible equation: do more with less, year after year.”

    But the benefits of school funding go beyond the classroom. Even if you don’t have a child in the public school system, you benefit directly from strong schools. They attract new families, increase home values, strengthen the local economy, and prepare the next generation of citizens to contribute to society. A well-educated community is a safer, healthier, and far more vibrant one.

    A woman teaching music
    Photo by Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimage

    To quote author John Green, “Public education does not exist for the benefit of students or the benefit of their parents. It exists for the benefit of the social order. We have discovered as a species that it is useful to have an educated population. You do not need to be a student or have a child who is a student to benefit from public education. Every second of every day of your life, you benefit from public education.”

    In other words, supporting our schools isn’t charity. It’s an investment in ourselves and our town’s future. Knowledge is power, and when we withhold resources from our schools, we chip away at that power. We limit our children’s futures and, in turn, our community’s potential.

    Local funding decisions matter. Every dollar allocated to education ripples outward, shaping not just the lives of students and teachers, but the well-being and success of our entire community. This is why it’s essential to support candidates who are committed to prioritizing education. Rocky Hill deserves leaders who will fight for manageable class sizes, support staff, and the resources teachers need to do their jobs well. Our community’s future depends on the choices we make at the polls now. 

    Opinion piece: This article reflects the position of the author and not necessarily that of the Democratic Town Committee.